If you take a survey of the prayer life of people; after analyzing it, it would reveal many things. Depending on the type of question you ask, the survey would reveal the following:
- To whom do you pray?
- How often do you pray?
- Why do you pray?
- For whom do you pray?
- What do you mostly pray about?
- When is it the most difficult ‘season’ for you to pray?
- Under which circumstance is it the most difficult to pray?
- With whom do you pray?
- What motivates you to pray?
- How sensitive are you to those inner promptings to pray? Do you respond to those promptings to pray or do you ignore them?
In this week’s study, we are going to go on a prayer journey. Let’s call it A Prayer Adventure. We will examine some scriptures about this important discipline call prayer. We will also examine the prayer life of some very important people. We will observe the occasions in which they prayed; what they prayed for; for whom they prayed and the results they experienced. We will also examine the hindrances to receiving answers to our prayers.
INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING PRAYER
In order for you to get the most out of this study, let me encourage you to take the time necessary to find the scriptures and read them.
Reading assignment #1:
Matthew 6:5-15
“And when you pray” (Matthew 6:5). Notice that Jesus didn’t say, “And if you pray.”
Jesus expected his disciples to pray. Jesus had a disciplined prayer life. He prayed everyday! He was in constant communion with His Father. As a follower of Jesus Christ, we too must pray. Prayer is necessary for all believers!
“go into your room, and …shut the door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6)
This reveals to us that when we pray, we are going to our Heavenly Father. As we enter that secret place of reverence, godly fear, holiness, peace, divine love–we in turn shut out everything and anything that would hinder us from entering into that place of divine intimacy or fellowship with our Heavenly Father.
Notice also the promise…”Your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
Let’s use the following scriptures as building blocks to anchor our faith concerning the significance of prayer; how to approach God; and what our expectations should be.
- Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16, NKJV)
- “For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6b, NKJV)
- “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him. (1 John 5:14-15, NKJV)
God desires that we, His children, come before Him. He wants us to approach Him–and with confidence too. Think about that for a moment! First of all, we have to approach our Father with the right mindset. We have to approach Him with the awareness that HE EXISTS. He is not a figment of our imagination. God is real! He exists! We must also approach God with the awareness that He rewards, blesses, responds to those who approach Him in faith. When you go before God, you must know that as long as you ask according to HIS WILL, God is going to respond to you favorably.
TRUTH REVEALED…
God desires that we come to Him with confidence.
We must believe that God exists.
We must believe that God rewards those who diligently seek Him.
We must approach God with an expectation that we are going to receive from Him.
We must ask according to His will. (Get to know the heart of God. Get to know God. Get to know what brings Him pleasure and then ask according to His will.)
God pays attention to the petitions of His children. (He hears us.)
I have fond memories of one of my aunts, in particular, because of the kindness she showed to me as a little girl. Each time I visited my aunt, upon leaving her presence to go back to my home, my aunt always gave me money. I didn’t have to ask for the money. She gave to me because that was her expression of her love for me. Her constant act of kindness towards me created a sense of expectation in me. Because of his consistent act of kindness towards me, I knew that whenever I visited that aunt, I was going to leave with money. As I think about her now, I think I must have been her favorite because none of my siblings have that experience to boast about. 🙂
Matthew 6:8, “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
As you enter the secret place of prayer, I want you to know that there is a divine deposit or impartation that is taking place. For those who dare to abide in the secret place of the Most High God, will in reality experience the blessings that are promised! (Read Psalm 91). As we spend time with our Heavenly Father, our hearts are being shaped. We are being molded. He also reveals His heart to us. We leave His presence bearing His likeness; His image; with His thoughts becoming our dominant thoughts.
Thanks for accompanying me on this journey to the heart of God through prayer! It promises to be a rich adventure of faith and innumerable blessings!
“May the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever.” (Hebrews 13:20)